“Slumdog” Sweeps BAFTA Awards

"Slumdog" Sweeps BAFTA Awards

As expected, Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” led this year’s Orange British Academy Film Awards, handed out this evening at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. The film earned seven awards – best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best editing, best score, best sound, and best cinematography.

Oddly enough, one award the film didn’t win was Outstanding British Film, which was given to James Marsh’s “Man on Wire.” However, it still took best film honors, giving it a clean sweep of every major precursor: WGA, DGA, PGA, SAG Ensemble, Golden Globe, Critic’s Choice, and BAFTA. The only other film to have won all of these honors is 1999’s “American Beauty.”

Other major winners included Mickey Rourke for best lead actor for his work in “The Wrestler,” “The Reader”‘s Kate Winslet for best lead actress, and supporting actors Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger for their work in “Vicky Christina Barcelona” and “The Dark Knight,” respectively.

Last year, BAFTA was the only precursor to rightly predict all of the acting winners at the Oscars.